The National Board of Medical Exams will begin to question
applicants about military medicine in all three parts of their tests and this
will force the medical schools to teach the course. Currently only about
half of the medical schools have a like course.
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Healthcare

The VA has released an update on its
Choice Program. They are proposing a network of physicians around the
country to work with the VA in treating vets instead of any physician who may
charge too much. They want an improvement on how the VA shares records
with outside providers. They want to streamline payment protocols by using
Medicare rates for those services covered by Medicare. They would negotiate
rates when the service is not covered by Medicare. Also payment would be
electronic. They want to improve access to local EDs and urgent care
centers.

CMS has released proposed changed for
networks in Obamacare in 2017. The states could either adopt the CMS
standards or draft their own and have them approved. The feds would look
at maximum travel distances and times to access providers. They also
proposed more standardized options for each tier of plan. This would mean
that bronze level would have a $6500 deductible, Silver would have a $3300
deductible and Gold would have a $1250 deductible. It would also raise
annual out of pocket spending to $7150 for individuals and $14,300 for
families. The ceiling would be met even if care was outside the network.
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Hospitals

The SEIU is at it again. One
wonders what they want this time. They have revived a ballot measure o cap
hospital executives' pay. They dropped a similar measure 18 months ago
after hospitals caved to their demands.
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DISCLAIMER: Although this
article is updated periodically, it reflects the author's point of view at the
time of publication. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Readers
should consult with their own legal counsel before acting on any of the
information presented.